66 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the whole of the recent proceedings evinced a most marked 

 improvement as compared with those of former periods of the 

 club's history. There was one further improvement which he 

 (Lord Feversham) agreed with Lord Berners was highly de- 

 sirable ahoulii be adopted; he referred to the removal of the 

 show to a place more spacious, more convenient, and more com- 

 mensurate with the importance of the object than that in 

 which it was now held. He trusted that that improvement 

 * would, ere long, be effected. Having made these remarks in 

 response to the toast, he would now propose the health of his 

 noble friend in the chair ; and as two years ago, when he had 

 tlie honour of proposing the same toast, his noble friend rather 

 complained of the compliments which he paid to him, he would 

 simply say on this occasion that, in proposing the toast of his 

 noble friend's health, he asked them to drink the health of 

 one who was at all times very anxious to promote the welfare 

 and prosperity of British iaxmera (cheers). 



After a warm reception of the toast, 



The Chairman, in responding, said he could truly declare 

 that he had devoted a large portion of his life to the improve- 

 ment of agricuLure, and that nothing was more grateful to 

 him than to meet an asaeaiblage of British farmers, and re- 

 ceive from them the slighest meed of their approbation. He 

 felt that agriculture was one of the most important branches 

 of the national wealth, and was most desirous of promoting 

 the extension of those feelings which ought to exist recipro- 

 cally between landlord and tenant (cheers). 



Mr. MiLWARD having proposed "the Judges," the toast 

 was briefly responded to by Mr. Sauday, the only Judge 

 present. 



Mr. Bennett proposed " The Stewards." In doing ao he 

 took occasion to advert to the subject of the removal of the 

 Cattle Show to another site, and expressed it as his opinion 

 that Islington afforded the very best site that could be ob- 

 tained. 



Mr. ToRR, after returning thanks, said it was very easy to 

 find fault with the premises ia Baker street, but he could 

 assure the meeting that it was very difficult to find other 

 premises which wo.-.ld be in all respects better. In a pecuni- 

 ary point of view no fault could be found with the holding of 

 the show in Baker-street. Wito a subscription list of about 

 £300 the Club obtained an aggregate of from £1,400 to 

 £1,500 a year, iu other words they had a return of more than 

 300 per cent, for their outlay, and from this return they were 

 enabled to carry something to capital account. He would, 

 with the permission of the noble lord in the chair, make one 

 or two practical remarks with regard to sheep. He did not 

 think it would be possible to see greater improvement than 

 was exhibited by the Southdowns. Last year and this year a 

 Yorkshireman had also done something towards bringing back 

 Leicesters to their proper form. He was confident that if Mr. 

 Bakewell had been living now, while he would have adapted 

 his system to the altered state of things, he would at the same 

 time have avoided violent crossing, which had produced very 

 bad effects. Mr. Torr proceeded to deduce that the Leicesters 

 of Mr. Sauday, as well as his own, were cultivated on this 

 principle of judicious selection, rather than of calling in much 

 fresh blood. 



Mr. Fisher Hobbs said he had been entrusted with a toast, 

 which would, he was certain, meet with a very cordial reception. 

 They had that evening toasted the President, the Vice-presi- 

 dents, and various officers of the Club, but there was one 

 gentleman in that room, who had, perhaps, contributed more 

 to the successful working of the club than any one who had 

 been officially connected with it during the last twenty years. 

 Lord Feveraham mentioned the fact that he (Mr. Hobbs) had 

 attended the annual dinners without intermission for upwards 

 of twenty years. On looking round that room he eovild see 

 only three gentlemen whom he was in the habit of meeting on 

 such an occasion during the earliest period of bis connection with 

 the society. Year by year had he seen improvements taking 

 place, and during the last few years, when they were most 

 marked, the club had been especially indebted for its 

 progress and its systematic arrangements to the energy 

 and the organ of order which so remarkably characterised 

 the official conduct of the honorary secretary Mr. 

 Brandreth Gibbs. The duties which devolved upon 

 the stewards and the judges had been greatly lightened 

 by the excellent arrangements made by that gentleman 

 and the recent success of the Sraithfield Club was raainly— or 



at all events, in a great degree, attributable to his extraordi- 

 nary exertions. He always met every officer of the club and 

 every member in a gentlemanly manner ; and his deportment 

 had made him popular, not only in that club, but also in the 

 Royal Agricultural Society of England. He had been most 

 exemplary in the performance of his duties as Honorary Di- 

 rector of that Society's Show ; and the agricultural commu- 

 nity at large was greatly indebted to him for having come 

 forward, at a period when the Royal Agricultural Society was 

 without a secretary, to perform the duties of the office 

 efficiently and gratuitously (cheers). 



The Chairman said he could himself have testified to the 

 indefatigable labours of Mr. Gibbs, not only as secretary of 

 that club, but latterly, while filling the gap in the same de- 

 partment of the Royal Agricultural Society ; and he agreed 

 with Mr. Hobbs, that a deep debt of gratitude was due to 

 him on that account (cheers). 



Mr. Gibbs, iu acknowledging the toast, said he felt deeply 

 grateful for the kind manner in which his health had been 

 proposed and received, as it showed that any services which 

 he might have been enabled to render, were fully appreciated. 

 This year he had been prevented, by the cause which had just 

 been mentioned, from devoting to the club as much of his 

 time as he could have wished. If there had been any omis- 

 sion on his part, he was sorry for it ; but, as regarded his po- 

 sition at that moment, when he told them that he had been 

 taking notes, as Secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 from 10 o'clock that morning till half-past .5 in the evening, 

 they would, he was sure, excuse him, if he did not mate a 

 long speech. He would only say, in conclnsion, that as long 

 as his services were considered worthy of acceptance, they 

 would be placed willingly and heartily at the disposal of the 

 club. 



Mr. C. Stokes proposed the health of Mr. Tower, the 

 father of the club, who, however, was not present. 



The Chairman gave "The Butchers," a toast that elicited 

 no response; and Mr. Robert Smith "The Agricultural 

 Labourer," with which the proceedings terminated at a rather 

 late hour. Mr. Genge, as usual, had the direction of the 

 musical arrangements. 



THE OLD NORFOLK FARMER AT THE 

 SMITHFIELD SHOW. 



London, Dec. 10. 

 Sir, — The closing month of another year has brought 

 round the annual gathering of agriculturists and others 

 connected with their branch of industry, to examine those 

 quadruped ■protecjes of the farm who seem, by their gene- 

 rally quiet and orderly demeanour, and their aristocratic 

 bearing, to be fully conscious of the important part they 

 play in the affair. These meetings constitute a striking 

 illustration of the freedom we enjoy in England, by the 

 deep interest manifested by all classes and descriptions 

 of persons in the exhibition. To the exhibitors it is an 

 affair of intense expectation and anxiety, to the success- 

 ful candidates an ovation, to the general body of far- 

 mers a holiday ; whilst to the public at large it is a sub- 

 ject of curiosity, wonder, and delight : even the genuine 

 cockney would not, on any account, omit going to the 

 "Cattle Show," taking with him his wife and children, 

 albeit many of them scarcely know the difference be- 

 tween a bull and a now, and certainly are none of them 

 versed in the mystery of the various breeds of the ani- 

 mals exhibited ; yet would they jiot be considered ig- 

 noramuses, and therefore never fail to touch the sides 

 of the cattle— timidly it is true, for fear it should be 

 done unscientifically. Well, let that pass. Here ws 

 are, in the midst of " beef and bucolics," which form an 

 appropriate and appetizing exordium to the war to be 

 commenced on the 25th between " Turkey and Grease," 

 if I may be allowed the perpetration of so vulgar a thing 

 as a pun. Doubtless this war will be attended with as 

 much bloodshed as that of Solferino, although the 



